Originally Posted by Charlee
I have Judy Martin books...but I have to disagree (respectfully) with the ethical issue. If it was true that it's unethical to copy the patterns of others, the only access we would have to block patterns would be only original patterns. There would be no modern log cabin patterns, no Mariner's compass, none of the "old" patterns. The "Dear Jane" book wouldn't exist, since the patterns in it are a copy of designer Jane Stickle's work.
One of the Judy Martin books I have are all "old" block patterns...does this make Judy herself "unethical"?
For the most part, the only truly original quilts are the landscape or art quilts...and some of them, eh! not so much!
The quilt designs in Judy Martin's Log Cabin Quilt Book are all originals. True, they build off the log cabin block, but the designs are unique and original. If you copy her design without acquiring her book, you are robbing her of her rightful income. Copyrights run out after some period of time (50 years after the death of the author), and everything over 70 years old (I think that's the figure) is in the public domain. I have spent some time actually researching this issue.